THESE are dark days at Thorneyholme Road.

But while Accrington remain firmly rooted to the foot of the Lancashire League table, there remains a true silver lining.

A single league win over East Lancs remains their only success since the season began in earnest in April.

Yet, while I chatted to Accrington's engaging vice-captain Mark Stevenson, there was no hint of despondency or despair in the air.

A few feet away, the raucous Accrington dressing room reveberated to the sound of hollers, screams and shouts.

Fists banged on windows and enthusiastic feet stamped on floorboards as the Accrington lads coaxed and cajoled professional Chad Grainger to his half century.

Mark is 31. He has been involved with Accrington for three decades. His father is the club president.

His family have known more productive times at Thorneyholme Road. A championship win in 1975 - he has played alongside Sherwin Campbell and Shane Warne.

Saturday, though, was a proud day. He was handed the captaincy for the first time following the resignation of Brian Holmes through work commitments.

"I've been involved with Accrington, one way or another, since I was six - I couldn't play anywhere else," he smiled.

"But without question we're having a very difficult time of it. To be brutally frank, it is a constant struggle.

"Too many senior players have left the club over several seasons and were never properly replaced.

"We just don't seem to have the three of four amateurs scoring enough to back the professional up and we haven't got the type of strike bowlers to take five wickets regularly."

Tough-talking Aussie Peter Sleep has been drafted in to coach the Accrington squad once a week. But results take time and dedication.

And the skipper's honest words were brutally underlined as Burnley clattered their way to a healthy 200 plus score.

Accrington's bowling lacked true penetration, length and variation. Too many runs were tossed away in the field.

Professional Chad Grainger was used sparingly - an uncomfortable 12 over spell, he returned one for 65.

With the first session played in unseasonal driving rain and a furious east wind blowing off the moors - Burnley gritted their teeth to build a rock-solid foundation.

The Turf Moor men really began to push the scoreboard along when Indian professional Rudra Singh joined Mark Harvey at the crease with 83 already posted.

Harvey's knock of 67 not out was the highlight of the day. Driving, pulling and cutting, his array of shots dominated the bowling attack.

And when Harvey was dropped, skying a catch to midwicket shortly after celebrating his 50, it summed up Accrington's predicament.

Professional Rudra Singh was in fine nick with the willow too as he bludgeoned his way to 51, finally falling to Grainger after sharing in a super partnership of 108 with Harvey.

Accrington's hopes rested on the broad shoulders of Chad Grainger.

Singh claimed the early wicket of Tofiq Khan and, when skipper Stevenson went, caught behind off the pacy Kamran Farooq, the home side were in deep trouble.

Grainger, though, despite some lusty hitting, departed two balls after his half century.

So can Accrington avoid the wooden spoon for the second year in a row?

"There is no reason at all why we can't improve," added the skipper.

"It is all about self-belief and confidence. Accrington is a very young club but things will come right for us eventually."

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